16th October 2023

Premise:
A couple in India reforested 55 acres of degraded land, into a sprawling, green expanse
rich in flora and fauna over a course of 23 years. Their efforts ended up creating over
300 acres of a nature conservation area in Karnataka1.

A woman in tribal Madhya Pradesh has spent almost a decade of her life collecting and
storing rare millets, saving several varieties on the brink of extinction2.

Tribal farmers in Meghalaya use the water from perennial springs to water their crops by
diverting it through a bamboo drip irrigation system. It is a well-known, traditional form
of harvesting water naturally in the area.

Meenangadi village in Wayanad, Kerala, is working towards becoming the first

carbon-neutral village in India, by adopting sustainable practices as well as educating
the population through awareness campaigns3.

A little conscious effort today, goes a long way.

As simple as this saying is, it contains within itself plenty of wisdom to last us for
millennia. Even a small decision we take towards making sustainable
choices—whether as an individual, a community or an institution—has the
potential to lead us to a healthier future. In a country abundant with traditional
knowledge and a culture that promotes minimal consumption, we have a
promising future to look forward to, if we start making these behavioural changes.

As India convenes the

G20 Leaders’ Summit
for the first time in the
country in 2023, one
word can ignite a global
movement- LiFE
(Lifestyle For
Environment) to nudge
individuals and
communities to act
towards the protection and preservation of the environment. This mission,
incubated, curated and piloted by NITI Aayog (the apex public policy think tank of
the Government of India) aims to change individual and community behaviour to
significantly impact the environment and climate crises.

This year, the IGBC Green Design Competition calls for the participants to come
up with sustainable design solutions inspired by the focus on individual action as
promoted by LiFE.
The first, most important question that a participant will need to ask (and answer)
is:

How can we change the lifestyles of ‘building’ and the ‘built’?

Promoting diverse approaches based on geographical, cultural and climatic

contexts, these projects should encourage behavioural changes in the lifestyles of
the population. When scaled up and implemented in real-world situations, these
projects should lead us towards a sustainable future for all.
Design Brief:
“Changing individual and community behaviour alone can have a significant impact on
the environmental and climate crises”

Architecture and Design have the power to influence and shape human behaviour.
The question designers today need to grapple with is how to design for a healthy
and sustainable future. There are a number of design and architectural solutions
that range from adapting sustainable construction products and practices to
designing innovative solutions to change community behaviour. Design
interventions can lead to great impacts when multiplied.

The mission document for LiFE highlights India’s environment-friendly culture

and traditional practices to conserve natural resources. One can look at the
Gandhian principles of self-sufficient villages and communities—how the people in
India’s villages, towns and cities seek solutions based on their geography, culture,
climate and resources available—which becomes their lifestyle over generations
of shared knowledge. There is a diversity of solutions all over the country which
have been tried and tested in reducing, reusing and recycling.

The IGBC Green Design

competition calls for
ideas at any one of the
three distinct scales of S,
M, and L targeting
positive change at
different scales for the
built environment. With
each scale of the
intervention, you have
the opportunity to create
solutions that push the
users towards
environmentally
conscious and sensible
lifestyles.
Scales of intervention:

● For S design solutions, create interventions to existing buildings or spaces

which alter or enhance the way they function in a way that promotes a
sustainable lifestyle.
○ A familiar example of this would be the philosophy of jugaad, a
resourceful and innovative approach to solving problems closely
imbibed in us through traditional knowledge.
○ These plug-ins or add-ons to building elements like windows, roofs,
and so on or toolkits of products for quick implementation on-site,
should help modify individual behaviour towards conscious
consumption.

● For M design solutions, imagine interventions at the scale of a building.

○ Think of self-sustaining buildings, that act as a benchmark for
circularity in architecture and life in general. You could redesign your
own apartment building, college block, office building, etc. where you
grow your own food, process, recycle and reuse your own waste,
generate your own electricity and so on.
○ These design interventions should influence community-level
changes in lifestyle that in turn help nudge industries and markets to
 cater their products to the conscious consumer. Through your
scheme, create a demand for sustainable HVAC solutions,
water-saving products, energy-efficient systems, etc.

● For L design solutions intervene at the neighbourhood, urban/rural scale

where they cause systemic change.
○ These could be housing, mixed-use developments, walkable
neighbourhood developments, etc. that influence the behaviour of an
entire population.
○ Remember to address the varied lifestyles and family structures,
concepts like co-living, work-from-home structures, etc.
○ Include neighbourhood-level solutions that utilise shared resources
efficiently and thoughtfully, e.g. water-management systems,
renewable energy generation and distribution, recycling-reusing, etc.
Participants are free to choose their scale of intervention and their
corresponding site. The projects should be implementable in line with the
principles of sustainability, conservation and moderation, and should promote the
concept of a circular economy in its construction as well as long-term use. Projects
should advocate for pluralism, simplicity of thought and execution and be socially
considerate.

S, M and L should promote

● Self-sufficiency- Design solutions that are

sustainable first and foremost in nature leading
to minimising waste and promoting the reuse of
materials.
● Contextuality- Create solutions that resonate at
a grassroots level with the users in tune with the
geography, available resources, climate, culture
and demographics of the site. You are free to add
more variables that aid in improving the
scalability of the intervention.
● Traditional knowledge- Draw upon India’s rich
heritage of environment-friendly practices, and
build upon vernacular knowledge to create a
socio-economic movement through design.
● Bio-cultural: Think of how culture affects the
human body. Demonstrate how design could
shape the relationship of humankind with food
and health, agricultural practices, rural and
primary education, and work-life balance.
● UN Sustainable Development Goals - Design
solutions should be based on the foundation of
the UN SDGs and respond to the blueprint to
create prosperity for the people and the planet.
Site and Context:

● For S interventions, choose a building, room, or area not greater in size than
25 sq. m.
● For M interventions, choose a site with an area not greater than 1,000 sq. m.
● For L interventions, choose a site up to 1-2 hectares in size.
● The selected site can be located in Rural, Urban, or Suburban areas in any
part of South Asia, given that the area requires a redesign to take a step
towards circularity.
● As per the context and location of the site, the users can vary. Each team is
free to generate its own programme and design framework.
● Clearly define what your spaces/product(s) stand for. Evolve a sustainable
philosophy for your design.
● Follow locally applicable building byelaws or refer to the NBC in absence of
local byelaws. Mention the conditions on your design sheets briefly.
● The footprints above are suggestive. There maybe design ideas which don’t
fit perfectly in the given restrictions. Feel free to think out of the box.
● There are places on Earth that humans should not be in. Choose your site
mindfully.
Submission Requirements:
● A maximum of 6 A3 sheets including the cover sheet shall be uploaded only
as soft copy under your registration
● The scale of the drawings may be chosen by you depending on the site and
area of the intervention. Make sure it is a readable scale.
● A brief statement on the philosophy of your design intervention (include in
the design sheets)
● Plans, Sections, Elevations, Sketches, and any written information that the
team considers important.
● Do not write your names on any of the sheets. Name your entry file as your
name/college name. Any entries that have their name/ college name on the
sheets are subject to disqualification.
● Please restrict yourself to a maximum word limit of 300 words per sheet.
More graphical presentations will be appreciated.
● Follow the 10 commandments of competition design. Linked here
● Acknowledge references used for case studies and also any design ideas
that have been adopted or adapted. Any plagiarised content with no cited
reference will be subject to disqualification.
● We would also require you to furnish a letter stating that the design is your
property
● All the sheets or images will be viewed on a digital device. e.g., Laptop
screen or
projector. Uploaded sheets or images will not be physically printed for
evaluation. The submission hence should be prepared for digital viewing
only.
Eligibility:
The competition is open to
● All current Undergraduate students enrolled in Architecture and Design
Courses.
● All Postgraduate students enrolled in Architecture, Planning and Design
Courses
● All recently graduated students (graduated in 2021 and later).

Team Composition:
● Maximum of two members per team.
● Facilitation by and involvement of faculty members is desired. It would be
extremely useful to the students if this could be incorporated into the
curriculum of the students in a manner found suitable by the faculty.

Evaluation Criteria:
● Site and Problem Selection: Understanding of the context, people,
surroundings and climatic conditions; the challenge adopted for solution.
● Response to the Theme: Concept and the design intent
● Sustainability principles adopted: Self-sufficiency and resilience of the
proposed built and unbuilt environment
● Program: Understanding the users and spaces, defining the requirements
● Inclusive and equitable design solutions
● Originality and uniqueness of Design
● Feasibility and Scalability of the designs
● Presentation
Awards:
Winners in each of the Categories below:
● S interventions:
○ First Prize: ₹ 50,000/- in cash and a certificate
○ Second Prize: ₹ 25,000/- in cash and a certificate
● M interventions
○ First Prize: ₹ 50,000/- in cash and a certificate
○ Second Prize: ₹ 25,000/- in cash and a certificate
● L interventions
○ First Prize: ₹ 50,000/- in cash and a certificate
○ Second Prize: ₹ 25,000/- in cash and a certificate

Important Dates:
● Registrations open: 21st April 2023
● Registration deadline: 10th October 2023
● Submission deadline: 16th October 2023

Reading Suggestions and Resources:

● Mission document for LiFE by NITI Aayog
● Lifestyle For Environment by NITI Aayog
● How to measure circularity
● Case Studies:
https://www.dezeen.com/2021/11/09/kamikatsu-zero-waste-center-hiros
hi-nakamura-architecture/
● https://www.tudelft.nl/en/architecture-and-the-built-environment/researc
h/research-themes/circular-built-environment/projects/rehab
Circular Economy in the Built Environment by Arup
● Adaptive Reuse In India
Glossary:
● Circular Economy: an economic system based on the reuse, regeneration, leasing,
sharing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling of materials and products for as long
as possible.
● Pluralism: a system n which different social classes, religions, races, etc., coexist in
a society but continue to have their different traditions and interests.
● Plug-ins, Add-ons or Toolkits of products: a product/system of products that
could be easily attached to an existing building or system to improve its
performance.
● Self-sustaining/Self-sufficient: a building/system/individual able to continue
existing in a healthy state, without any help from the outside. It is particularly
related to the production of food and recently has come to include abilities like
the generation of energy, waste management, and water management when used
in relation to architecture and design.
● Socio-economic: the relationship between Society and Economics—influence of
economic activities on social processes and vice-versa.
● Bio-cultural: the interactions between biology (particularly human biology) and
culture.
Bibliography:
Works Cited
1. Pareek, Shreya. “The Couple Who Bought Barren Land In 1991 And
Transformed It Into A 300 Acre Wildlife Sanctuary.” The Better India, 23
February 2015,
https://www.thebetterindia.com/16294/couple-man-made-wildlife-sanctu
ary-hosts-animals-like-bengal-tigers/. Accessed 10 March 2023.
2. “How A 27-YO Woman Spent A Decade Turning Her Hut Into Bank For 150
Types of Rare Millets.” The Better India,
https://www.thebetterindia.com/web-stories/baiga-tribal-woman-spent-a-
decade-turning-her-hut-into-bank-for-rare-millets /. Accessed 10 March
2023.
3. Sinha, Sinchita. “9 Traditional & Sustainable Practices in India That We Must
Revive For a Better Tomorrow.” Tripoto,
https://www.tripoto.com/india/trips/wealth-of-age-old-traditional-wisdom
-and-practices-in-india-which-has-tragically-disappeared-3b1ff1ea0a8073
208 . Accessed 10 March 2023.
About Indian Green Building Council (IGBC):
The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), part of the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) was formed in the year 2001. The vision of the council is, "To enable a
sustainable built environment for all and facilitate India to be one of the global leaders
in the sustainable built environment by 2025". The Indian Green Building Council has
been driving the green building movement in India for more than twenty years
now. With a modest beginning of 20,000 sq. ft. green built-up area in the country
in the year 2003, today more than 10,296 Green Buildings projects are coming up
with a registered footprint of over 10.24 billion sq. ft. IGBC now boasts 31
holistic Green Ratings Systems which cut across all typologies of buildings and
built environment. All the stakeholders of the construction industry comprising
architects, developers, product manufacturers, corporate, Government, academia
and nodal agencies participate in the council activities through local chapters. The
council also closely works with several State Governments, Central Government,
World Green Building Council, and bilateral and multilateral agencies in
promoting green building concepts in the country.

Green Building Movement in India:

The Green Building movement in India was triggered off when CII-Sohrabji Godrej
Green Business Centre building in Hyderabad was awarded the first and the
prestigious Platinum-rated green building rating in India. Since then, the Green
Building movement in India has gained tremendous impetus over the years.

With a modest beginning of 20,000 sq. ft. of green built-up area in the country in
the year 2003, today (as of 30th April 2022) more than 7,558 Green Buildings
projects coming up with a footprint of over 8 Billion sq. ft are registered with
Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), out of which 2,581 Green Building projects
are certified and fully functional in India. This growth has been possible with the
participation of all stakeholders in the green building movement.
Today all types of buildings are going the Green way- Government, IT Parks,
Offices, Residential, Banks, Airports, Convention Centre, Institutions, Hospitals,
Hotels, Factories, SEZs, Townships, Schools, Metros etc. IGBC has developed 30
rating systems to cover various building typologies of the built environment,
including Green Villages and Green Health Care facilities.
About Ethos:
Ethos was started in 2002 by Ar. Gita Balakrishnan, as a response to a need in
raising awareness about our built environment. It is an initiative to bridge the gap
between students and professionals by providing more opportunities to budding
professionals and creating a platform for young designers and civil engineers who
are to be decision-makers in the years to come. Ethos works towards sensitising
students of architecture and civil engineering to the culture and the ethos that
their designs would need to respond to. There is an effort to equip students to be
agents of change, to lead and not just follow and to contribute towards building a
harmonious society.

About Daikin:
Daikin Airconditioning India Pvt. Ltd. (DAIPL) is a 100% subsidiary of Daikin
Industries Ltd., Japan, a global leader in the manufacturing of commercial-use and
residential air-conditioning systems. Daikin uses the technologies and knowledge
related to air cultivated over many years to make life on Earth more comfortable.
Going forward, we will provide new value that makes people and air comfortable
and healthy through energy-saving technologies. DAIPL commits to protect the
environment and the ozone layer through the import, marketing, sales and
servicing of air-conditioning systems and spares.